Larry Costello
Lawrence Ronald Costello was an American professional basketball player and coach. He played for the Philadelphia Warriors and the Syracuse Nationals / Philadelphia 76ers of the NBA, and the Wilkes-Barre Barons of the EPBL. He served as head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks and the Chicago Bulls.
A six-time All-Star, Costello was one of the National Basketball Association's last two-handed set shooters. As the inaugural coach of the Bucks, he led them to a championship in their third season of existence in 1971, the fastest run for an expansion team in NBA history. In ten seasons as a coach, Costello reached the postseason six times, while winning 37 of his 60 postseason games as coach, for a winning percentage of 61.7%, tenth best in NBA history. In 2022, Costello was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor.
Early life
Costello was born on July 2, 1931, in Minoa, Onondaga County, New York, to Hubert and Ethel Costello. Both of his parents had excelled as basketball players, Hubert at Holy Rosary school in Syracuse and Ethel at Minoa High. Known as Ronnie in his youth, Costello attended East Syracuse-Minoa High School, where he starred in basketball, baseball, track and six-man football. He averaged approximately 24 points per game on the basketball team over his high school career.Playing career
Niagara University
Costello attended Niagara University, where he starred on the basketball team. His teammates included, among others, future Hall of Fame coach Hubie Brown, and future NBA coach Frank Layden.Costello played three seasons at Niagara, from 1951 to 1954, after spending his freshman year on the freshman team due to the NCAA rules of the time. He led the freshman team to a perfect 23–0 record. As a junior he averaged 18.2 points and 3.9 rebounds per game, and 15.3 points and 2.2 rebounds per game as a senior. Niagara was a member of the men's Western New York Little Three Conference, which he led in scoring in the 1952–53 and 1953–54 seasons. Costello graduated as the all-time leading scorer in program history. He was an All-America honorable mention in 1953.
Costello led the Purple Eagles to the National Invitational Tournament in 1953, losing to eventual champion Seton Hall led by Walter Dukes, 79–74. Costello scored a team-leading 20 points in the game. Niagara and Costello went to the NIT again in 1954, where they won two of three games, and finished third in the tournament, defeating Western Kentucky 71–65 in the consolation game. Costello scored 17 points and excelled in all aspects of the game. The 1952–53 team finished with a 22–6 record, and the 1953–54 team had a 24–6 record, and was ranked No. 16 in the final Associated Press poll among college teams.
He wore the jersey number of 24 until his senior season due to his efforts in a notable game in his junior year. Against Siena on February 21, 1953, Costello played all but twenty seconds of a six-overtime game that ran for 69 minutes, where he scored 21 points in an 88–81 win. Teammate Ed Fleming played all 70 minutes. To commemorate Costello's efforts in the longest college basketball game at that time, his jersey number was switched to 69. His jersey number of 69 was retired by Niagara in 2001.
Philadelphia Warriors and military service
Costello was drafted in the second round of the 1954 NBA draft by the Philadelphia Warriors. He chose the NBA over study at the University of Buffalo and their dental school due to having more of a passion for basketball. Costello played in only 19 games before entering the military during the season, and served in Korea during the following season, before returning to the Warriors for the 1956–57 season. During his time overseas, the Warriors won the NBA title in 1955–56. Costello averaged 7.6 points, 3.3 assists and 4.5 rebounds in over 29 minutes per game at point guard in his first full year, on a team that included future Hall of Fame players Paul Arizin and Neil Johnston.Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers
In October 1957, the Warriors sold Costello's contract rights to the Syracuse Nationals for $5,000. Costello was named an All-Star five consecutive seasons in Syracuse and once more after the team became the Philadelphia 76ers. He averaged over ten points a game in each of his first eight seasons with the team.In his first Nationals' season, Costello averaged 14.9 points, 4.4 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game at point guard, playing alongside future Hall of Famer Dolph Schayes and multi-time all-star Johnny "Red" Kerr. Costello, Schayes and Kerr would play together on the Nationals/76ers for seven years. The following season, Costello was 7th in NBA most valuable player voting.
Costello averaged a career-high 15.8 points, to go along with 5.4 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game. The Nationals lost three games to four against the Boston Celtics in the 1959 Eastern division finals. Costello averaged 18 points and 6.3 rebounds per game in the series. Costello, Schayes and Kerr were joined in 1958 by future Hall of Fame guard Hal Greer, who would play with Costello for the rest of Costello's NBA playing career.
In 1959–60, Costello averaged a career-high 6.3 assists, to go along with 14 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. The Nationals lost to Wilt Chamberlain and the Philadelphia Warriors in the three-game Eastern Division semifinal playoffs. Costello averaged 16.7 points, 6.7 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game in the series. Costello was named second-team All-NBA for the 1960–61 season. He averaged 14.5 points, 5.5 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game during the regular season. The Nationals swept the Warriors in the semifinals, but lost to the Celtics again in the Eastern Division Finals. Costello led the Nationals by averaging 24 points and 8.3 assists per game against the Warriors; but averaged 11.6 points and 5.4 assists against the Celtics.
In 1961–62, his final All-Star season as a National, Costello averaged 13.8 points, 5.7 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game. The Nationals lost in the five-game Eastern Division semifinals to the Warriors, where Costello averaged 14.6 points and 5.6 assists per game. In 1962–63, the team's final year in Syracuse, he had a Nationals' personal career-low in minutes played, and had his lowest point and assist totals in six years. He did lead the NBA in free throw percentage.
During the team's first season in Philadelphia, he was sharing time at point guard with Paul Neumann, under new head coach Dolph Schayes, who had replaced the Nationals’ future Hall of fame coach Alex Hannum when the team moved to Philadelphia. The franchise had its worst record since Costello had joined the team.
The 76ers obtained Wilt Chamberlain in a January 1965 trade with the Warriors, and Costello became an All-Star again in the 1964–65 season. He played over 30 minutes per game for the first time since 1959–60, averaging 13.5 points and 4.3 assists per game. Costello led the NBA in free throw percentage for a second time. However, he suffered a hamstring injury toward the end of the season and missed considerable playing time. He came back for the playoffs, but was hampered by the injury. The 76ers lost the Eastern Division finals to the Celtics in a seven-game series, losing the final game 110–109. Costello averaged 25.1 minutes per game, 6.6 points and 2.6 assists in that series.
Costello announced his retirement from the 76ers at the end of the 1964–65 season. After retiring, he took a position teaching physical education and coaching basketball at his alma mater East Syracuse Minoa High School. He also joined the Wilkes-Barre Barons of the Eastern Professional Basketball League, with which he played on weekends. He averaged 38 minutes per game, and had no problems with his previously injured leg.
Costello rejoined the 76ers as a reserve point guard for the 1966–67 NBA season, after returning head coach Alex Hannum reached out to Costello and told him the 76ers needed a veteran point guard after the retirement of Al Bianchi. It was anticipated that Greer and Wally Jones would handle primary point guard responsibilities; but Costello would provide stability with his defense and experience. During the season, the balance of minutes between Jones and Costello would vary, with sometimes Jones playing more and sometimes Costello.
The team finished the season 68–13, defeated the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Division finals, breaking Boston's eight-year streak of NBA championships; and then defeated the now San Francisco Warriors in the NBA Finals. The 1966-67 76ers team is considered one of the greatest teams in NBA history. The 35-year old Costello averaged nearly 20-minutes per game, and 7.8 points, 2.9 assists and 2.1 rebounds per game in the regular season.
In early January 1967, Costello suffered torn knee ligaments that kept him out of play until mid-March; and he played in only 49 regular season games. Soon after returning in March, Costello suffered further knee ligament damage early in the semifinal playoff series against the Cincinnati Royals, and missed the rest of the 1967 playoffs against the Royals, Celtics and Warriors. While many attributed the team's success to Costello, Costello believed it was all the players working together, and Hannum's ability to get the most out of his players, that led to the 76ers dominant season.
Costello returned to the 76ers for the 1967–68 season. He was the oldest player in the NBA. He was averaging nearly 18 minutes per game when he suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in his left foot during the 28th game of the season against the Baltimore Bullets, requiring surgery. Costello ended his career for the second and final time as a player, when he announced his retirement on December 24, 1967.
Career
Over his career, Costello averaged 12.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists in 706 regular season NBA games. He appeared in 52 playoff games, averaging 11.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 4 assists in 18 minutes per game.Although only 6 ft 1 in, Costello was considered a tough defensive player. Hall of Fame guard Bob Cousy of the Boston Celtics called Costello his most difficult opponent because of his "animal determination". Knicks Hall of Fame guard and coach Dick McGuire considered Costello one of the best guards of his era. Costello was one of the last players in the NBA to use a two-handed set shot He was also known for his crew-cut hair.
During his NBA career, Costello was selected to six NBA All-Star Games. He led the league in free throw percentage in the 1962–63 and 1964–65 seasons.